Conventionally, in a process of manufacturing a product, there is widely used a sorting apparatus configured to sort out a sheet-like workpiece sequentially conveyed at certain intervals to a predetermined conveyance destination. For example, a sorting apparatus discussed in Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2001-89003 (Pages 3 to 4, and FIGS. 2 and 4) uses a flap configured to sort out a conveyance destination of a workpiece (plate on which a photosensitizing agent is applied) sequentially conveyed by a conveyor according to the workpiece's quality and other criteria.
This flap, which is of box-like triangular pyramid, is installed in the middle of the conveyer. The top of the pyramid is positioned upstream of the conveyor. Normally, the workpiece passes above the top surface of the flap. In the case where the workpiece is determined as “poor quality”, the flap rotates upward having its downstream part fixed as an axis of rotation. When the flap rotates upward, the conveyed workpiece abuts the bottom surface of the flap and is sorted out to another conveyer which is built under the flap.
However, when the sorting apparatus including the above-described flap is used to sort out the workpiece formed by piling up a plurality of unwoven fabrics, which are constituents, such as a disposable diaper and a sanitary napkin, there arises a problem that sorting cannot be appropriately performed.
Specifically, when the workpiece conveyed at high speed is sorted out to another conveyor built under the flap, since the flap rotates upwardly, the distal end of the workpiece once leaves the conveyor then abuts the bottom surface of the flap like a collision. A soft workpiece is easily bent when the workpiece collides at high speed with the bottom surface of the flap. This easily arises a problem that the workpiece is unable to pass the sorting apparatus readily causes a jam.
Also, at a lower part of the flap, i.e., a portion where a conveyance destination is sorted out, there is a certain air gap between a conveyor of the conveyance source and a conveyor of a conveyance destination. This easily leads to a problem that the distal end of the workpiece goes into the space, thus causing a jam.
Therefore, the present invention has an objective to provide a sorting apparatus capable to sorting the workpiece more surely and smoothly based on the workpiece's quality and other criteria even when the sheet-like workpiece so formed that a plurality of unwoven fabrics, constituent components of a disposable diaper and a sanitary napkin, for example, are piled up is conveyed at high speed.